2014 Statewide Community Forums

Over the summer of 2014, Houston Center for Literacy conducted a
series of Adult Education and Literacy Community Forums across the
state to give local literacy organizations and their supporters a
chance to speak out on their public policy needs and
priorities.

In the wake of the Texas Legislature's decision to transfer
adult education to the Texas Workforce Commission and recent
changes in how Texas administers its adult education program, there
has not been a more important moment for adult education in Texas
in decades.

We traveled all across the state, from El Paso to Texarkana,
McAllen to Amarillo, bringing together regional leaders in adult
education. All in all, the community forums grew to cover twelve
cities in two months and reached more than 350 people across the
state.

With the support of the Houston Endowment, we launched the
forum series with three goals in mind: to empower
communities,to inform policy recommendations,
andto build capacity for ongoing communication
in the future.

The good news is that, for the most part, we're on the
same page regardless of where we live in Texas. The system is
under-resourced. We want what's best for our adult learners. We see
gaps and needs and we want to build a comprehensive
system.

We would like to thank Texas Workforce Commission's Adult
Education and Literacy Advisory Committee and our partners all
across the state for their support on this project. We look forward
to working together to continue building the adult education system
that the state deserves.